The present invention relates to an improved event data reproducing apparatus and method suited for use, for example, in digital mixers, an electronic apparatus using the improved event data reproducing apparatus and/or method, and a computer program for the event data reproduction.
Recent digital mixers are provided with a function (so-called “scene recall function”) of storing, in memory, parameter values set via faders, volume control operator members, etc., ON/OFF states of various buttons and other settings or setting states of the digital mixer as “scene data” and then reproducing the thus-stored settings (scene data) in response to one-touch operation by a user or human operator. Thus, by recording in advance mixing settings in various scene setting states, e.g. in theatrical performances, concerts and the like, the digital mixers allow necessary mixing settings (setting states) to be quickly reproduced.
Further, digital mixers employed particularly in production of video and music content are provided with a so-called “automix” function. Namely, in these digital mixers provided with the “automix” function, parameters, such as fader levels, panning and send levels of individual channels are recorded in advance as “automix data” in association with time codes. Then, once “automix data” to be reproduced is designated and the corresponding time codes are supplied to the mixer, the parameters are automatically set to values corresponding to the supplied time codes. In this way, fader levels etc. can be automatically set in synchronism with the time codes recorded together with materials, such as video/music data (see, for example, “DM2000 Instruction Manual”, published by Yamaha Corporation in February, 2002, Pages 157-181.
In rehearsals of concerts and theatrical performances, the number of human operators of a digital mixer is sometimes less than that in a real (non-rehearsal) performance before the audience. If, in such a case, the scene recall function can be performed automatically, then it is possible to significantly lessen the burden of the human operators. Even during the real performance, part of the scene recall may sometimes be safely performed automatically. In such a case, once the “scene recall” is designated as an automix parameter, the scene recall can be effected automatically.
However, in actual concerts, theatrical performances, etc. before the audience, there may occur some time “deviations” from previously-estimated times, or needs to deal with unexpected events. Further, during rehearsals, “redoing”, “skipping”, etc. of some of the scenes occur frequently. With a technique where the “scene recall” is merely included as an automix parameter, it is practically impossible to deal with such unexpected events. This is because editing of the automix data is generally cumbersome and laborious and thus difficult to deal with instantly.
Further, when there have occurred changes in the recalling timing of a plurality of scenes under the above-mentioned circumstances, the conventional digital mixers would require the human operator to manually adjust all execution timing having changed. Consequently, the conventional digital mixers present the problem that the execution-timing editing operation tends to be very cumbersome. Further, when a particular scene has been recalled at given timing, the execution timing of one or more scenes following the particular scene is sometimes determined on the basis of respective time differences from the particular scene. In such a case, it should be very convenient if the execution timing of the other scenes can be automatically determined when the execution timing of the particular scene has been changed.